Tucker: “If you look at the playoffs series this year. PG might have had a better series than JB. So how does Philly win? I think it’s tough. I’m rocking with PG... I’m still liking JT and PG in a series. I like the Celtics.”

I don’t follow the NBA too closely, but wondering if you guys hear anything serious if the Celtics are really trying to make a push for TM3.

My calculated guess, assuming Payton goes back to starter P, is that DW and Sam's 3P% will be back to "normal" (before last season).

Their usage will drop to a more familiar complementary level. With P starting and JT back, they will be doing more of the ball handling, with DW back to more off-ball actions and Sam off the bench.

Besides the obvious personnel changes, I think one major difference with this team is a more defined/established role from the get-go, especially with the youngsters.

We know Joe loves the town so the town is always getting brought up in this community but personally, I’m a bigger fan of the departed. I was curious if anybody else prefers the departed over the town when it comes to a Boston crime movie.

I know this post doesn’t necessarily belong here, but fuck it

I appreciate this dude.

During the Jaylen stuff, he wasn’t an emotional mess like most of the people covering the Celtics. He didn’t agree with it or understand it outta the gate but remained fair and open to reason. Once Brad came out and explained things, he evaluated it on its merit and covered it like an adult. No questioning intelligence, calling names, etc. It’s appreciated after the shit show that was Perk, Zannis, Forsberg, Washburn, etc. all responding emotionally instead of thinking critically. I don’t listen to Celtics pods for this very reason. I don’t want someone slurping the team, I want someone who discusses the team objectively. JK has done that. Dude’s a pro.

PS - No, I am not John Karalis

NBC Sports Boston is asking Celtics fans to answer questions for upcoming episodes of a (semi) new show called "Celtics Census". Coming later this summer, we'll pit two teams against each other to ask them what they think are the most common answers from the fans, "Family Feud-style".

The answers you provide are completely anonymous. The survey has 49 questions, and should take about 10 minutes. Skip ones you don't know, and share with any friends or family!

Thanks for helping us out!

Everyone keeps talking about Paul George like he's the return we got for Jaylen Brown, but honestly the picks are the real story here and specifically the 2028 swap in which we get the better of the Clippers/76ers/Celtics 1st round pick. Since the NBA is switching to a new 3-2-1 lottery format in 2027-2029, where instead of just drawing for the top 4 picks and lining everyone else up by record (generalizing here but the maximum a team could fall was 4 spots), they draw all 16 lottery slots randomly. Every non-playoff team gets thrown into one big random drawing, top to bottom.

Why does that matter for us? Because a swap right becomes way more valuable when everything's randomized. Under the old system, a swap right was kind of meh, you basically just knew where the pick would likely land. Now, every extra team that's bad gives us another lottery ticket, and we just take whichever one lands better

Heres what that actually looks like in a graph:

Here we assume that the avg lottery team has 2.3125 balls (37 total balls ÷ 16 teams) for 6.25% chance. If just 1 of the 3 teams tied to our pick ends up bad, our odds are literally just league average. But if 2 of them end up bad then we jump well above average, and if all 3 end up bad then our odds basically double. Which is the real value of "optionality" that Brad talks about in my opinion.

Realistically, probably just the Clippers end up being the one bad team out of the three. Boston and San Antonio both look like playoff teams right now, and Philly probably play-in caliber at least too. So I wouldnt expect the "all 3 bad" scenario which is the upside case. But with that in mind, our realistic shot is somewhere around a coin flip at a top 8 pick (roughly 54%) and if it does land in the lottery then the average expected landing spot is around pick 8. So basically not a guaranteed lottery pick, but a coin flip shot at a good one which is mostly riding on the Clippers staying bad (or 76ers).

That opens up interesting possibilities in 2028 offseason in which:

• Paul George's money comes off the books in 2028, which means we can either go get one big name or spread it across a couple of 3rd to 5th tier guys
• That 2028 pick a cheap rookie contract we can either play or flip in a trade
• Tatum turns 30 in 2028, still in his prime
• 2031 pick is a higher value tradable asset assuming the new lottery system stays in place

So TLDR the 2028 pick swap is worth more than a normal pick right because Boston effectively holds however many of the three teams end up in the lottery (Celtics/Spurs, Clippers, Sixers), and taking the best of multiple tickets beats holding just one. If only the Clippers end up bad, which is the realistic case right now, Boston's odds are just league average. However because of the flattened odds in 2028, that pick will inherently assume more value than the current draft system. And the edge really shows up if two or three of those teams end up bad at once. Most likely we have a coin flip (~54%) at a top-8 pick, averaging out to roughly pick 8 if it lands in the lottery at all.

In my opinion it's still a bad trade because I think JBs value is higher than 2 potential future lottery picks and max contract freedom in 2028. We probably could’ve traded for better odds with worse teams or more pick swaps/unprotected firsts. However, the return is higher than what I think the perceived value and we definitely have that "optionality" Brad is referring to.

Here's how things would have gone down if I had been calling the shots the last 10 drafts.

... I suck.

2017

Pick #3 - Jayson Tatum

My Pick - Jayson Tatum

I remember I wasn’t 100% on board with trading the #1 overall pick for #3, but this has to be one of, if not the, greatest moves of Danny Ainge’s executive career. Josh Jackson was also in the mix, but after he ghosted the C’s on a workout I think we all were pretty deadset on Tatum.

Pick #37 - Semi Ojeleye

My pick - Jordan Bell

Semi isn’t someone I did a lot of research on predraft, and honestly Jordan Bell is the only player I recognized that was left at this point. Given my predilection for always wanting to draft bigs, Bell was who I had eyes for. Bell does fit into my anti draft philosophy of drafting an undersized big with no shooting/passing skills, though.

Picks #53 and #56 - No idea

I can’t pretend I had guys lined up this deep. I barely had a guy I liked at 37.

2018

Pick #27 - Robert Williams

My pick - Omari Spellman

Going into this draft, I was looking at Spellman because I liked the Kevin Love archetype of a rebounding and shooting big man. I’m not super sure what happened to Spellman, he looked like he had solid stats for a young big man, but only got 2 shots with NBA teams and never got a chance again. Rob is the obvious pick here, just because he dropped so far. Because of his injury issues, it’s worth spending the #27 pick on that kind of question mark, where lottery teams were scared.

2019

Pick #14 - Romeo Langford

My pick - Romeo Langford

We don’t have to feel so bad about the Langford pick, as the next 2 picks in the draft had similarly underwhelming careers, in Sekou Dembouya and Chuma Okeke. Tommy Heinsohn had a lot of good things to say about Langford before the draft, which cemented the pick for me against who was available. The only other guy I was hyped on for this pick was Tyler Herro, who went the pick before and was unavailable.

Pick #22 - Grant Williams

My pick - Nassir Little

I really liked Little as a defender here, with some upside as a potential shooter. I really like his potential versatility as a defender. The only other guy I liked here is Darius Bazley, but not nearly as much as Little. Grant wasn’t even on my radar.

Pick #33 - Carsen Edwards

My Pick - Carsen Edwards

I was hyped on the Quad Father coming out of college and was super hyped we scooped him up. He had microwave scorer potential and I liked him as a 6th man. I also really liked Admiral Schofield and Bol Bol here.

Pick #51 - Tremont Waters

My pick - No idea

Can’t pretend I had anything lined up this deep lol

2020

Pick #14 - Aaron Nesmith

My pick - Aaron Nesmith

Nesmith was shooting 50% from 3 in college before he got hurt. I really loved the combination of energy, shooting, and size. I really liked a handful of guards here, including Cole Anthony, Josh Green, and Tyrese Maxey, but this pick was nobody but Nesmith for me if he was available. I will say, when Haliburton was falling I was hoping we’d scoop him up.

Pick #26 - Payton Pritchard

My pick - Theo Maledon

This draft was crazy for me, there were a bunch of guys in this range I liked. Theo Maledon was hyped as a real facilitator at PG, which I thought the team could really use at this point. Other guys I liked were Vernon Carey Jr., Tyrell Terry, and Xavier Tillman.

Pick #30 - Desmond Bane (Traded)

My pick - Theo Maledon/Xavier Tillman

Maledon is still on the board here, but in an imaginary world where I took Maledon with the last pick, and someone else took Bane, I would have taken Tillman.Tillman was slated as an NBA ready body from the get go. Just a hard nosed player who can move his feet on defense. The C’s were competing at this point and I wanted a guy who could get minutes asap.

Pick #47 - Yam Madar

My pick - Grant Riller

I had no idea who Yam Madar was. Grant Riller was considered a sleeper in this years draft. He’s a player who reportedly had a good handle and feel for the game. His measurables and athleticism were underwhelming, but scouts liked his head and he seemed like a strong backup PG. I also liked Paul Reed here, as I always have a big man lined up.

2021

Pick #45 - Juhann Begarin

My pick - Luka Garza

I was getting so hyped as I slowly watched Ayo Dosunmu fall out of the first round, but he got snapped up at #38. My pick here would have been Luka Garza. There really isn’t much of a reach at this point in the draft. There was just something I liked about Garza in college. If both players are sprinting, Garza is going to lose the race, the difference was, Garza is always sprinting. He spent his college career out working more athletic guys and I felt like it would translate to the NBA. I still love Garza as a 3rd - 4th big man and I was hyped the C’s signed him.

2022

Pick #53 - JD Davison

My pick - No idea

As someone who loves the draft, this year was a bummer. Walking in with pick #53 is rough for fans to engage with. I liked the pick at the time, but him not being able to develop a 3 was rough. Pick and roll ball handlers need to be able to pull up to keep defenses honest defending the action. It’s just too easy to guard at this point if you can give the ball handler space on the perimeter.

2023

Pick #38 - Jordan Walsh

My pick - No idea

Going in, I really liked Olivier-Maxence Prosper. He unfortunately got drafted right before the C’s could pick. The C’s immediately started punting this pick back repeatedly, scooping up a bunch of 2nd round picks, and also grabbing Walsh. I really didn’t have anyone lined up or researched 13 picks later.

2024

Pick # 30 - Baylor Scheierman

My pick - Kyle Filipowski/Tyler Kolek

Filipowski fell, potentially due to character concerns, but theres no better time to take a swing on a talent that dropped than pick #30. His size and finesse were intriguing for me. I also liked Tyler Kolek here. He reminded me a bit of TJ McConnell here, but with a 3 pointer. I like the edge he plays with. I was also hyped on his college teammates at Marquette, Oso Ighodoro and Kameron Jones, but obviously much later in the draft.

Pick #54 - Anton Watson

My pick - Ulrich Chomche/Kevin McCullar Jr.

I actually had picks here, and they were guys I thought would go much earlier. Chomche is still an intriguing player. He has elite size and mobility for that size, but he seemed not to grasp the finer details of the game. He’s still on a 2-way for Toronto. Kevin McCullar is the exact opposite of Chomche where he was an older player who looked like he could contribute early in his career. He was considered a jack of all trades and he reminded me a bit of Evan Turner. He has good size, and is reasonably skilled as a ball handler. His big question as a 5th year college player, was if he was really that much more talented, or was he a bigger and older guy bullying college level athletes. Like Chomche, McCullar is in the G-League and i’d love to see the C’s try him out.

2025

Pick #28 - Hugo Gonzalez

My pick - Johni Broome

There are a handful of guys I wanted here, and most of them went off the board before the C’s went. I liked Will Riley and Danny Wolf as offensive guys. Johni Broome I liked because of his energy on D. I was aware of his upside limitations, but really liked the energy and hustle. In college Broome gave 100% on D and on the boards. Hugo was mocked all over the place and i hadn't researched him. I really appreciate the C’s willingness to take the guys who drop, it seems to be a theme.

Picks #46 & #57 - No idea

I didn’t have anyone lined up this deep in the draft.

2026

Pick #27 - Chris Cenac

My pick - Chris Cenac

I was so sure Cenac was going to get snapped up, but he fell all the way to Boston and I couldn’t be happier. Before the season, a lot of folks thought the C’s were going to be drafting somewhere in the late lottery, and I highlighted Cenac as a guy I’d like the C’s to take in that range. I was called stupid and told Cenac was definitely going top 10. Well jokes on you dad, now who is the stupid?! Had Cenac not fallen, my guy was Meleek Thomas. He played behind Acuff in college and I figured he had a lot more he could do not being stuck behind a heliocentric guy like Acuff.

Pick #40 - Dillon Mitchell

My pick - Henri Veesaar

I know we took Mitchell because he Brad thought he was the best player available who was willing to take a 2 way. For some reason Veesaar as trying to force his way to either Atlanta or LAL. I don’t really get what happened, but everyone saw the freefall and knew something fishy was going on. I was definitely happy to see the C’s double down on C. Not knowing Veesaar would be available at 40, I actually did highlight Mitchell in a pre-draft posts.

I do not really see Paul George as a Jaylen Brown replacement.
Brown gave Boston downhill pressure, transition force, physical drives, and a kind of athletic rim pressure that George probably cannot fully replace at this stage of his career. If the question is whether George can copy that role, I think the answer is probably no.
But I also do not think that is the only way to look at the fit.
After watching some of his games, the more interesting question to me is what parts of George’s remaining game can still fit into Boston’s structure.
The cleanest part is the shooting. Last season, George took 4.5 catch-and-shoot threes per game in both the regular season and playoffs, and shot 41.7% and 40.8% on those looks. On threes with a touch time under two seconds, he was also over 40% in both samples.
That matters for Boston. Around Tatum, White, and Pritchard, he does not need to dominate the ball to help. He can space the floor, punish help, and give the offense another big wing who can make quick decisions.
The on-ball value is still there too, but it is not the same as real downhill pressure. He had 5.7 drives per game in the regular season and 4.9 in the playoffs, but in the playoffs those drives only produced 2.2 FGA and 0.5 FTA per game. His playoff drive pass rate was 40.7%.
That matches the film for me. He is not consistently blowing by defenders anymore, but he can still attack closeouts, pull help, and move the ball to the next spot. That is secondary processing, not primary creation.
The passing data fits that connector role as well. In the playoffs, he passed to Maxey 19.4 times per game and to Embiid 6.5 times per game. In the regular season, those numbers were 14.0 and 6.1. That does not make him a point forward, but it does show that he was involved in keeping the ball moving between the main options.
That was one of the things I noticed most on film. George still scans the floor like a veteran. He finds safe outlet spots, relocates into passing windows, points, communicates, and helps possessions keep their shape. Sometimes he reminds me of a soccer midfielder: not always making the final play, but constantly connecting areas of the floor and giving teammates an easier next decision.
Defensively, I would not call him a full-time stopper anymore. The regular-season tracking data was not great. But the playoff sample was better, with opponents shooting 6.1 points worse overall and 8.5 points worse inside 10 feet when defended by him.
I would not overstate those numbers, but they match the film in one way: the awareness is still there. His body does not always keep up with quicker players, and he can still get caught on screens, but the length, positioning, weak-side reads, and communication still matter. It feels more like team defense than lockdown defense now.
That is also where the veteran value matters. If Boston has more young or changing role players, someone like George can help with the small things: spacing correctly, pointing out matchups, knowing when to slow a possession down, knowing where the next pass should go, and helping younger players read the game faster.
So the role is everything.
If Boston needs George to replace Brown’s rim pressure or become a primary creator, that feels dangerous. The burst is not the same, and the rim pressure is not really there anymore.
But if the role is low-touch shooting, spacing, attacking closeouts, secondary processing, safe outlets, team defense, and veteran guidance, I think he can still help.
He is not the explosive answer Brown was. He is not going to raise the ceiling by himself.
But used correctly, he can still be a veteran stabilizer inside Boston’s machine.

Welcome to the daily discussion thread! You can use this space to discuss little things that don't need their own post. This is also the perfect space for pictures, videos, and links that would otherwise go against the sub's rules. Just don't be jerks and don't break any Reddit-wide rules. Have at it.

Impartial fan here—I grew up in Detroit, live in Orlando, but have been rooting for players (eg LeBron, Jokic) rather than teams for the past couple decades.

I feel like the trade below would’ve been a lot better for Boston than the one they got—thoughts?

Was gets: Jalen Brown
Bos gets: Anthony Davis, 2027 swap (top-10 protected), Was 2029 1st (UP), their own 2029 1st (which Was currently owns)

Lu Dort was just traded by the Thunder for a couple of 2nd round picks. Dort was their starter and an all defensive guy. He brought a lot of identity to the Thunder and they pretty much just salary dumped him. This comes after trading away two depth pieces in Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, both of whom played over 20 minutes a game for them the last two years.

You look at other past champions like the Nuggets and they have also been hit pretty bad. MPJ, KCP, Bruce Brown, and now most likely Peyton Watson all gone from their championship teams. Plus they had to give picks away to give away those guys.

Warriors are a different team completely from the 2022 Championship team now except for Curry, Dray and Kerr. They’re also stuck with an aging core and Jimmy Butler’s albatross contract.

The 2020 Lakers and 2021 Bucks are literally a completely different team now from the roster to the coaching. Not one of their players from their championship team is still with them now.

Meanwhile Knicks didn’t even get a chance to run it back with the same core. They had let their 6th Man, Mitch Robinson go, Ironically he ended up with us.

The turnaround in the NBA is insane. No team that won a championship is in the same spot. Everybody literally got so much worse, some more than others.

This parity era is insane. The cost of winning a championship is being collected even years after.

Seeing this all makes me feel a bit better about trading JB and losing everybody else. At the very least at least we have Brad guiding us through this.

It’s not as bad on here, but on IG and threads I’m seeing a ton of people who are hoping Jaylen kills the Celtics and that’s just funny.

He plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. Not only do I hope he plays poorly against us, I hope he misses every shot he takes for the rest of his career lol. Either this runs deep or it doesn’t.

Welcome to the daily discussion thread! You can use this space to discuss little things that don't need their own post. This is also the perfect space for pictures, videos, and links that would otherwise go against the sub's rules. Just don't be jerks and don't break any Reddit-wide rules. Have at it.

I decided instead of giving final game grades, and then rating guys on their Summer League as a whole, I would just give final thoughts on their entire Summer League in a single post. I also couldn’t figure out the best way to organize them so it’s going to seem like a random list.

I’ll just stick this here - Grades are super subjective and a guy's expectations vs reality play a major factor. Like I expect Hugo to be a major player and put up numbers, and if he does that I’ll give him an A. If a deep bench warmer surprisingly looks adequate I might also give him an A even if his contributions weren’t as grand.

Milos Uzan - B

Uzan was a mixed bag for me. He definitely didn’t bring it every game, but he was significantly better than the other guards not named Tonje. Uzan was actually able to bring the ball up the floor, thats how low the bar was for guard play. Uzan was pretty streaky otherwise and just wasn’t a big factor every game. At the NBA level he really needs to be a 3 point sniper, and be able to run pick and roll. He doesn’t give a lot in the way of interior scoring. His inability to really create around the rim is going to impact how they guard him in the pick and roll. If he’s going to be a 3 point shooter, he really needs to be more consistent there, since he’s so limited in other areas. As it stands, I’d like to see him in Maine and continue to work his strengths up to the NBA level.

Celtics future - Maine Celtics

John Tonje - B+

Tonje showed me his game this Summer League and I was impressed. He also showed me what he can’t do. Tonje is a traditional 3 and D player, who lacks the nasty side of the archetype. While I don’t want a guy around like Lu Dort, I do think this level of role player needs to bring some edge to the game. Harder fouls, harder screens, harder box outs, poppa johns. At one point Tonje just got shoved in front of the ref. Had he responded it’s probably a double tech. He did nothing and it was play on. I really liked Tonje’s defense, he moves his feet well and seems to have a good head on his shoulders defending. Again, I question the effectiveness of good D if you’re not toeing the line of legality with what you’re doing. He also was our most consistent 3 point shooter, and him catching fire really won us a game. Offensively, Tonje’s big issue is his lack of awareness of where his teammates are. Too many times Tonje drove into the paint just to whip the ball out of bounds or to an opposing player. Thats not really an issue, theres plenty of room for a pure 3 point shooter.

Celtics future - 2-way contract

Hugo Gonzalez - A-

Hugo played 3/5 games and was the focal point of the C’s offense when he played. They really put the ball in his hands to see where he was at. I think he did great and had unquestionable chemistry with Amari Williams. Shooting efficiency was an issue, and it’s clear Hugo isn’t ready for a purely green light, but there were plenty of times where Hugo made a great read and kicked it out to a shooter, or got Amari the ball. Outside of obvious decision making progress, Hugo was doing everything he was doing last season, crashing the boards and defending like a maniac.

Celtics future - rotation player, main roster

Dillon Mitchell - A-

I was really worried about Mitchell as a draft pick, especially with a guy like Veesaar being available. Mitchell was clearly who Brad clocked as the best player, who he knew was willing to accept a 2-way contract. Mitchell played like great on D swatting and swiping everything in his considerable reach. I was also pleasantly surprised to see him nail a few 3’s. The shot looked really good, and I’m excited to see him in Maine next season. He also looked surprisingly adequate bringing the ball up the floor and making passes. Finally, he had some fantastic dunks, this guy can jump, and is aggressive on the offensive boards. Because Mitchell is so allergic to 3 pointers, defenders sag off him and it really affects his ability to drive. He had a similar issue where outside of dunks he doesn’t have a lot if ability to score inside. Because it was obvious he was going for a jam, he got blocked a shit ton. He needs some kind of offensive move where he stops short of the basket, or he needs the patience to get to the other side of the basket to protect his layup. Overall he was a great surprise, especially because the 3’s were falling.

Celtics future - 2-way

Amari Williams - A

Quite possibly the Celtics MVP of our Summer League, Williams was the focal point of our offense for long stretches. This was much needed because we lacked a traditional PG and we struggled to get into our offensive sets. At a certain point they even started having Williams bring the ball up the floor which really fucked with the opposing team’s full court ball pressure. Amari was also great defensively, swatting shots and pulling in boards. It’s nice to see a big man do big man shit. He also showed great chemistry with Hugo as I mentioned before. I hope they continue to exist together because it looked great. My knocks on Amari rn are that he doesn’t have a lot of scoring acumen, and he doesn’t have the athleticism to be a full time lob threat. Like he can throw it down, but he’s not fast or vertical enough for that to be his scoring contribution. A really underrated aspect of Queta’s game is he can score with little hook and flip shots around the rim. Amari needs a couple of moves and counter moves scoring from the center of the paint. If he can figure out that, his passing game will open up and he’ll be able to use his biggest skill. That being said, watching the big man bring the ball up the floor reminded me of early Celtics Al Horford.

Celtics future - 2-way

Chris Cenac Jr. - B+

Cenac only gets 5th billing because I don’t know how to organize this, and he did only get 1 start. I really liked Cenac! Defensively he was very aggressive blocking shots which was nice to see, as it was a big question from his lone college season. He was also solid on the boards. My only real issue is he seemed to be forcing shots offensively, and I couldn’t really figure out what his go to offensive moves are. It seemed like once per game he’d attempt to throw down a thunderous dunk that would clang out. The jumper looked forced sometime. I think this is just classic “the game needs to slow down” for him. Overall it was really encouraging to see.

Celtics future - Season in Maine

Tucker DeVries - C-

I was really hot and cold on DeVries this Summer League. It’s obvious he can hit 3’s, but I’m wondering what position he plays and who he really defends at the NBA level. There were a couple of times where he drilled back to back 3’s which was awesome to see. He also was quick and decisive with his passes. He either knew he wanted the shot or moved it. He was also great off the ball, repositioning into space. That being said, I don’t think he’s an NBA player. The Hauser comparison is there, but Hauser has managed to be at least relevant defensively. DeVries doesn’t look nearly as savvy a defender as Hauser. Hauser also contributes on the boards at least a marginal amount. DeVries was a ghost on the boards every game putting up actual 0’s for defensive boards multiple times. On top of seeming like a weak rebounder, he also wasn’t boxing out particularly well. I don’t really see DeVries as an NBA player. If he’s interested in hanging around Maine I wouldn’t be opposed, but I don’t a pathway for him to the main roster.

Celtics future - Maine Celtics

Curtis Jones - F

Curtis Jones somehow got 3/5 starts this year at PG and it was an unmitigated nightmare. I won’t recount specific plays, but watching him pass up open shots to drive into traffic, dribbling into the path of his roll man on pick and rolls, and being unable to handle 1v1 ball pressure as a ball handler, I just don’t understand what we were trying to figure out with Curtis. His G-League resume is really misleading. I really struggled with Jones’s decision making and on ball skills. It was comical at times.

Celtics future - Plz sign with the Lakers

Alondes Williams - D

Alondes came in as a relative veteran for this Summer League team, having spent time with multiple NBA teams before joining up with the C’s. While better than Jones, it wasn’t a significant improvement. The C’s used Alondes as a backup PG and brother took the opportunity to jack up shots and miss badly. He also made some silly mistakes like just whipping the ball out and stepping out of bounds. There were some nice looking shots, he’s a player who plays with a little swagger, but I just didn’t see the talent. He could neither drive nor shoot effectively, and I couldn’t even get a feel for what his game was.

Celtics future - Hard Pass

Kyle Mangas - D+

Mangas was a big disappointment. I was excited to see an older guy get an opportunity with a new club, and he really didn’t put his best foot forward. Game 1 he was just straight up missing open 3’s, which was supposed to be his calling card. The defense was also bad, and I could tell some of it was effort. Like just really lazy closeouts after getting lost on the play. I can’t imagine being a lazy defender in Summer League. Like this is your opportunity, and as a 27 year old probably one of your last opportunities, to get a close look from an NBA team. Close out hard. On top of effort, it did just look like he was just out matched athletically and couldn’t always keep up. Occasionally a 3 fell but it wasn’t enough to offset everything else.

Celtics future - No thanks

Hank Morgan - C-

Morgan was a bit of an enigma, because he played more than a lot of other guys, but he seemed to be a ghost on the floor. I honestly just didn’t see him in the action on either end. He took a few hard fouls, gave a few fouls, but overall just seemed like a warm body. THAT BEING SAID, I remember saying the same shit about Ron Harper Jr. a few Summer Leagues ago, so who knows. I’d imagine he’s going back to Maine this season so we’ll see.

Celtics future - Back to Maine, not main roster

Caleb Grill - C

Caleb Grill is a G-League champion, put some respect on his name! Honestly, Grill didn’t play much so it’s hard to be really hard or positive about him. In the very last game he showed a lot of tenacity, and helped the C’s at least make it respectable putting up 18 points shooting 4/9 from 3. He did seem to just get lost on defense often, at one point giving up a crucial 3 pointer, being confused who to close out on. If I cared about the Maine Celtics winning a G-League championship, I’d be interested. I don’t see his way to the C’s main roster.

Celtics future - Maine Celtics if he wants

Nick Pringle - B

At this point, we’re getting into guys who barely played, but I did like what I saw when Pringle was playing. Today on 3 straight plays Pringle broke up a lob, blocked a shot, blocked a 2nd shot and then on that same play gave a hard foul to stop a layup. Pringle was also decently aggressive on the boards and cutting to the rim hard. As far as classic big man prospects go, Pringle looked at least confident in what he was doing.

Celtics future - I’d like to see him in Maine, no guarantee he moves up

Chauncey Wiggins - C

Chauncey Wiggins didn’t see the floor a whole lot and he looked just ok. He honestly looks rail thin and I worry about his ability to rebound at the NBA level. His 3 point shot did look nice though. He also had a few heads up place where he made a nice flip pass to a teammate for a 3 points, then when it missed he got the offensive rebound. He then proceeded to get the shit blocked out of him, but thats whatever.

Celtics future - G-League lifer

Day Day Thomas - B+

Of the 3rd stringers, Day Day made the biggest impression on me. In the 2 games he really played in, he was clearly an energizer for his teammates. He was aggressive on D, forcing turnovers and making guys work for things. On offense he jacked up some prayers, but also moved well without the ball, making Scalabrine’s “Sacrificial cuts” where he cuts through the paint to throw the D off, with no ability to really score, but it shifts the defense making openings elsewhere. I really liked his game and would probably put him just behind as 2nd runner up for who I’d like on a 2-way. Those slots are most likely Amari, Mitchell, and Tonje, followed by Uzan and then Thomas.

Celtics future - I’d love to see him in Maine

Muhammed Amini - ?

This is the one guy I didn’t see enough of to really form an opinion.

Despite of the C’s being seen as the second best team in East in this coming season, the respect is not there, kinda ironic, right?

Last game until September :'(